Power distribution systems such as motor control centers include a floor mounted electrical enclosure which houses motor control units, wireways, internal wiring, bus bars, circuit breakers and other equipment in accordance with NEMA standards. It is desirable that the footprint of a motor control center, such as those used on an oil rig or for commercial construction, be reduced or minimized in order to reduce costs.
A motor control center enclosure includes one or more large frame circuit breakers such as Siemens VL circuit breakers. Further, the enclosure includes shelf sections having a range of heights, for example, from 60 inches to 6 inches. In one embodiment, a large frame circuit breaker is located on a relatively tall shelf section. The circuit breaker is actuated by separate handle mechanism that is connected to an external handle located on a front panel of the enclosure. It is desirable to locate a large frame circuit breaker in a short shelf section. However, the current handle mechanism does not fit within the short shelf section since the circuit breaker itself occupies a large portion of the shelf. Further, the current handle mechanism must be disassembled in order to gain access to the circuit breaker, thus increasing assembly time and maintenance costs.